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The Field Trip Festival to Celebrate the Grateful Dead

A number of bands will celebrate the 38th anniversary of the Grateful Dead’s legendary performance at Veneta, OR’s Old Renaissance Faire Grounds on August 27, 1972. The Field Trip festival will take place at Vasa Park in South Elgin, IL on August 27 and 28. The event will feature a number of Chicago-area performers, as well as former Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten and longtime Grateful Dead contributor Bob Bralove. The festival will also feature Mr. Blotto, Terrapin Flyer, This Must Be The Band, Cosmic Railroad, Juniper Mays, Bonzo Terks, Barefoot Fred, Tula, Paul Abella Trio and many others.

The Grateful Dead’s 1972 performance at the Oregon County Fair was a benefit for Springfield Creamery run by Chuck Kesey (Ken’s brother). The group returned to the site in 1982 and planned to return a third time in 1992 before health problems caused Jerry Garcia to cancel a series of Grateful Dead dates.